Growing Up & Facts of Life
![E. Lockhart - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001IOF7SC.jpg)
Family of Liars: The Prequel to We Were Liars
The thrilling prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars takes readers back to the summer that the Sinclair family's lives changed forever.
A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.
Twenty-seven years before the events of We Were Liars comes another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades-a story that is scandalous, tragic, and layered with mystery.
Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The addictive prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars: the story of another summer, another generation-and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.
"I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." -The New York Times
"A perfect beach read." -The Boston Globe
A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.
Twenty-seven years before the events of We Were Liars comes another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades-a story that is scandalous, tragic, and layered with mystery.
Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The addictive prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars: the story of another summer, another generation-and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.
"I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." -The New York Times
"A perfect beach read." -The Boston Globe
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Family of Liars:
"Poetic and thoughtful.... I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." -The New York Times
"Besides superb character development, there is a dark, supernatural angle that makes this an interesting novel with unexpected twists…. An atmospheric story that will welcome new and seasoned readers to the Sinclair family." -NPR
"Full of plot twists, betrayal, and ugly family secrets, fans of the first novel will no doubt love it." -Paste Magazine
★ "Beautiful and devastating." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "[A] layered, atmospherically tense exploration of jealousy, love, and family loyalty." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "While knowledge of the earlier title enriches the drama here, this is still absolutely engrossing, and readers will wonder what other tragic secrets the Sinclairs are hiding." -The Bulletin, starred review
★ "An unforgettable, sorrowful story of grief, guilt and regret…. Lockhart further contrasts death, lies and grief with movie nights and sunny afternoons on sailboats, giving depth to this unsettling yet striking story." -Shelf Awareness, starred review
"The novel is uncomfortably thought-provoking… and is impossible to put down." -The Horn Book
"An absorbing prequel…. As she did in the original, Lockhart uses fairy tales and a shocking twist to powerful effect." -The Buffalo News
Praise for We Were Liars:
"Irresistible premise for this ticking time bomb of a novel." -The New York Times Book Review
"[A] haunting, sophisticated mystery... so twisty and well-told that it will appeal to older readers as well as to adolescents." -The Wall Street Journal
"It's a nearly perfect story, and it's utterly absorbing." -Bustle
"No book on this summer's reading list will have readers immobilized in their hammocks more than E. Lockhart's We Were Liars." -Newsday
"Poetic and thoughtful.... I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." -The New York Times
"Besides superb character development, there is a dark, supernatural angle that makes this an interesting novel with unexpected twists…. An atmospheric story that will welcome new and seasoned readers to the Sinclair family." -NPR
"Full of plot twists, betrayal, and ugly family secrets, fans of the first novel will no doubt love it." -Paste Magazine
★ "Beautiful and devastating." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "[A] layered, atmospherically tense exploration of jealousy, love, and family loyalty." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "While knowledge of the earlier title enriches the drama here, this is still absolutely engrossing, and readers will wonder what other tragic secrets the Sinclairs are hiding." -The Bulletin, starred review
★ "An unforgettable, sorrowful story of grief, guilt and regret…. Lockhart further contrasts death, lies and grief with movie nights and sunny afternoons on sailboats, giving depth to this unsettling yet striking story." -Shelf Awareness, starred review
"The novel is uncomfortably thought-provoking… and is impossible to put down." -The Horn Book
"An absorbing prequel…. As she did in the original, Lockhart uses fairy tales and a shocking twist to powerful effect." -The Buffalo News
Praise for We Were Liars:
"Irresistible premise for this ticking time bomb of a novel." -The New York Times Book Review
"[A] haunting, sophisticated mystery... so twisty and well-told that it will appeal to older readers as well as to adolescents." -The Wall Street Journal
"It's a nearly perfect story, and it's utterly absorbing." -Bustle
"No book on this summer's reading list will have readers immobilized in their hammocks more than E. Lockhart's We Were Liars." -Newsday
Readers Top Reviews
SharonOlivia Brow
Wealth can buy a private island, privilege can buy opportunities, but neither are needed to weave webs of lies that entrap everyone in a family and change the course of their lives. And so, every reader can find themselves wondering “what if it were me?” as they reacquaint themselves with the Sinclairs and Beechwood Island in Family of Liars. In this prequel to We Were Liars, E. Lockhart proves herself an expert at weaving together the interplay of relationships and secrets, creating characters you want to alternately scream at or hug - or at times both. This was a fun, quick read that was a perfect escape from reality. Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this engaging prequel.
Delta High School
Carrie is the oldest of three sisters. When the youngest sister Rosemary drowns, the three remaining sisters must follow the family motto and not show any grief. Carrie becomes addicted to painkillers after jaw surgery that her father insists she needed, to give her a stronger looking jaw. The summer after Rosemary drowns, their cousin Yardley brings her boyfriend and his two best friends to the island. They’re funny and help lighten the mood on the island. Carrie and Pfeff are interested in each other but he keeps being inconsiderate and annoys Carrie. She discovers a secret that her mother’s been keeping and it’s consuming Carrie. Pfeff also turns out to be self-centered and when the cousins see him kissing Carrie’s sister Penny, things become precarious. I enjoyed Pfeff’s humor and the writing is exemplary. I felt firsthand what the characters were going through because of the details. Humorous parts with Pfeff changing lyrics of Mary poppins song, Step In Time: Take no prisoners, do some crimes Know your math facts! Step in time. Every time he would sing this, it made me chuckle! Heads up, Family of Liars is a prequel but also a spoiler to We Were Liars! It's an enjoyable read full of teen angst, 5 stars! Ethnicity is predominantly white. Mature content is PG-13, underage drinking and smoking, attempted rape Violence is PG-13
cindy louDelta Hi
I read the first one by this author. This is by far the best reading . I like the way the author thinks and writes
RSW Kindle cindy
Loved this YA coming-of-age/ family drama. I didn't realize it was YA when I chose it, I wasn't sure I would like it but I found it relatable. SUMMARY This is the prequel to “We Were Liars,” which I haven't read but will be starting tonight. The book opens with Carrie getting a visit from the ghost of her recently deceased teenage son. He asks her to tell him about the worst thing she has ever done. She proceeds to tell him the story of the summer that changed her life. Carrie, her sisters, parents, cousins and uncle always spent summers on their private island outside of Cape Cod. This summer, her 17th summer, things were different. They lost her youngest sister the summer before and everyone was still suffering, but silently. But on the plus side, all the kids on the island were teenager so there was teenage drama and there were teenage adventures. And, her cousin brought boys... What began as a summer full of promise ended with a life altering event that simultaneously bonded the sisters for life and put a huge wedge between them. WHAT I LOVED The story was great, the characters were memorable and the setting was my dream setting. I get annoyed with stories that focus so heavily on details that the plot gets lost, this was the perfect mix, of detail versus plot. Loved it all. WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE I mostly loved everything about this novel. As an adult reading YA, I couldn't help but judge the parents sometimes. A lot of what happened with the kids was a product of a lack of supervision. OVERALL This is an extremely well written novel. I highly recommend it for all ages (probably not appropriate for younger than 14 or 15 year olds). I am starting the other book in the series the second I finish this review. 😀
Nicole NRSW Kindl
I randomly chose We Were Liars a few weeks ago, didn’t even realize it was considered “young adult”I read it quickly and fell in love with Beechwood Island and the Sinclair family. I found out about Family of Liars and quickly ordered it. Carrie (the eldest sister) goes back in time and tells a story of a summer when she was a teen on Beechwood Island. Great book! I wish there were more books on this family and their summers on the private island. The author does such a great Job describing the characters and setting. I want to spend a summer on Beechwood Island! Read We We’re Liars first then this one. You won’t regret it.
